Boating Dictionary

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There are currently 55 names in this directory beginning with the letter C.
Cabin
A compartment below offering accommodations for passengers and crew.
Cable
Synonim of rope
Cam jam cleats
Deck equipment to block sheets
Capsize - verb -
When a boat turns over
Capstan
Big winch with a vertical cylinder
Cardinal signals
They indicate that deeper waters of the zone where the signal is located are in the quadrant sharing the same name
Careen - verb -
To put a boat on a side through counterweights or ropes in order to clean, caulk, or repair the bottom .
Cargo boom, derrick
Crane fixed on a ship bridge for loading/unloading merchandise
Cast
To untie a knot or release a rope
Castle
The foreward most compartment above the deck, used in 19th-century-sailing boats
Castria
A particular type of mooring through which a boat keeps a certain distance from the pier, even in case of surf
Cat
Small yacht with a single mast on which only the mainsail can be hoisted
cat crane
Crane used to secure anchors
Cat the anchor - verb -
To hook the main anchor to a specific crane in order to put it on the bow.
Catamaran
Boat with two twin hulls joined together
Catch
To stop a running rope or chain. The verb also refers to an anchor holding on the bottom. It usually refers to mooring ropes.
Cathead, cat
Fore crane used to cat the anchor.
Caulking
To empty the space between plating axis with insulating material in order to make it watertight
Caved stay
Aluminium profile with two cavities mounted on the forestay. It allows to ride fore sails without any slides, while increasing efficiency and allowing the use of furlers
Cavitation
The effect caused when air is drawn down into the water by a propeller, resulting in loss of power, overspending of the engine and propeller, and pitting of the metal surfaces of the propeller
Celestial navigation
It allows to determine a ship position by measuring angles between the horizon and known altitude of sun, moon, planets and stars.
Centreboard case
Compartment of the centreboat within hull
Chain plates
Reinforced joints on the deck where stays are clasped.
Chain sag
Bend of a rope or a stay when exposed to a stress; generally referred to the bend of the jib stay moved by the wind
Charlie
Term which represents ‚C‚ in the international phonetic alphabet.
Charter
Synonym of rental. Reffered to a rented boat
Chock
A deck fitting used to secure moveable gear
Circumnavigate
To sail around a body of land and return to the starting point.
Cleat
Small bitt generally used to stop running riggins, such as halyards
Clew
The lower aft corner of a fore and aft sail, or the lower corner at the foot of a square sail
Clew outhaul
Rope linked to the mainsail clew which passes through a gear located at the boom yard in order to regulate the sail base
Clipper
Fast sailing vessels built in the 19th century for goods transport in long ocean navigationsiframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ydsnQe9Ou6s" frameborder="0" width="560" height="315">/iframe>
Close-hauled
Sailing point which allow a boat to sail the wind up, usually between 60° and 30° iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OuTrEz5eFo0" frameborder="0" width="560" height="315">/iframe>
Cloud
Water vapour condensed as a result of pressure and temperature differences.
Clove hitch
Knot used for mooring or to fix fenders.
Coast
Line between sea and land
Coastal navigation
To sail towards the coast
Cockpit
External part of a boat, where riggings and rudder are usually located.
Coil
To turn a rope on itself
Collar
Junction line of shrouds; ring which reinforces masts; sliding ring which allow sail to move on masts
Collision
Collision between boats
Commando
Thin wire used to block the terminal part of ropes so that they dont' fray
Companion
Hatch of an opening in the deck
Compass
Instrument which, tanks to Earth's magnetism, indicates a fixed point and helps to maintain a course
Compensation
Operation to minimize the compass mistake due to the onboard metal parts
Counter-jib pole
Pole which supports sails foremost the jib
Courtesy flag
Flag of the hoist country that must be hoisted when sailing in the territorial waters of a foreign country.It must be hoisted below the national one
Cradle
A frame built to support a vessel when it is hauled out.
Craft
All watercraft with a length of less than 10 metres, used in marine or inner waters, including sailing, motor and row boats. The category includes smaller boats, such as rowing catamarans, paddleboats, sailing boards, jet skis and water motors../ metres
Crew
People boarded in the boat
Cringle
A heavily reinforced grommet at the corner of a sail to which a line is fastened.
Cross-tree
Spacer placed on masts to increase the traction angle of stays
Cunningham
A specialized downhaul used in some racing sailboats to adjust the shape of the sail luff (named for its inventor.)
Cutwater, breakwater
Part of the bow cutting waves
Cyclone
Area where atmopheric pressure is low but increasing inwards. Its motion and winds are counterclockwise.


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